Fifteen recent high school graduates ready to take on the world were presented at the 43rd annual Deutante Ball put on by Beta Rho Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.
The Beginning of Greatness was the theme for the dinner affair held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel. Jennifer Carter and Shawnetta “Kai” Madden were the chairwomen; Elma Hairston was mistress of ceremonies.
The debutantes were presented by Alice Pegues-Miller and the congratulatory message was delivered by Carol Reagan-Heru.Yoshanni D’Ann Ford-Boone, a graduate of East High School who plans to attend Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., was crowned queen of the ball; her court included Jasmyn McGill, the ball’s princess, and Jennifer Williamson, the duchess.
Other award recipients were Ashley Filer (essay); Tiarra Whitaker (grade point average); Michaela Jones (community service); Breeahna Britt (Rhoer of the Year); Jasmyn McGill (Miss Congeniality); Yoshanni Ford-Boone (talent); and Tashara May (Sisters In Service scholarship).
Read on for more information about the sorority’s Class of 2007:Breeahna Faith Britt: The daughter of Donald and Lynnell Britt, Breehana graduated from Fred N. Thomas Career Education Center Middle College of Denver and also attended classes at the Community College of Denver. She has been a member of King Baptist Church all her life. Breeahna has volunteered on behalf of such causes as Denver Botanic Gardens, Arapahoe House, the American Liver Foundation, and the Career Education Centerâ€™s Ambassador program. She was a member of the National Honor Society and the 2007 High School Senior Girl Recognition Award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Breeahna enjoys dancing, writing poetry and cooking and will study business administration at Clark Atlanta University.Raquel Ryan Cortez: The daughter of Patrick and Bobbie Jackson,
Raquel graduated from Montbello High School as an honor student. She was a cheerleader for all four years, lettered in softball and was on the track and soccer teams. Outside the classroom, Raquel is a member of True Light Baptist Church. She plans to attend the University of Northern Colorado where she’ll study hotel and restaurant management.Ashley Filer: A Denver native and the daughter of Gary Filer and Carolyn Renee Smith, Ashley is a graduate of East High School, where she challenged herself by taking accelerated and honor classes in science, foreign language, literature and math. She credits membership in AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) with helping her to become a competitive, college-bound student. She was senior class female representative to the student council and also was involved in East’s Film Club and Octagon Club. Ashley was on the varsity cheerleading squad for two years and her community service includes reading to elementary students at Wyman Elementary School; serving food to the homeless; and assisting with the Special Olympics, the 9News Health Fair and Project Angel Heart. Ashley has been accepted by four colleges, including Tuskegee University. Yoshanni Dâ€™Ann Ford-Boone: The daughter Yasmaine Ford Faggan and the late Rodney Boone, Yoshanni graduated from East High School where she played on the golf team and the junior varsity basketball team and was manager of the varsity basketball team. She was active in the Black Student Alliance, helping with community service projects that included preparing Thanksgiving baskets for families in Northeast Denver; the Trick or Vote program that encouraged residents to cast their ballots; and planning the East High School Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Yoshanni began volunteering with the Salvation Army, collecting and sorting food and toys for families in need. She also participated in their Christmas gift program. Yoshanni also volunteers for Food Bank of the Rockies and is a member of New Hope Baptist Church where she sings in the choir, attends weekly bible study classes and participates in the youth group. Yoshanni is also honored queen, or president, of a Jobâ€™s Daughters chapter; in addition, she is the recipient of a Kinnard Scholarship and laptop computer from Girls Inc. of Metro Denver. She plans to major in environmental science or chemistry at Bennett College.Ashley Lisa Marie Hill: Ashley is the daughter of Carlos Hill and Noretta Hill Hurst
and is a graduate of Aurora Central High School where she was a cheerleader and a member of the Intensity Dance Team and De Ja Vu Step Team. Ashley has been a volunteer Big Sister at Montview Elementary School and belongs to King Baptist Church where she is a member of the youth choir, the youth usher board and the bible study group. In her sophomore year, Ashley was named to Whoâ€™s Who among American High School Students; during her junior year, she enrolled at the T.H. Pickens Technical College health science program and earned a CNA certificate. Ashleyâ€™s college plans are to study pre-medicine or nursing at either Howard University or Metropolitan State College of Denver. Michaela Yvonne Jones: The daughter of Michael A. Conner and Lawanda M. Jones, Michaelaâ€™s mother military status has allowed her to live and travel to many places, including Germany. The East High School grad says she grew up shy and introverted but was inspired by her fourth grade teacher to pursue writing. As a result, she has excelled in English and literature classes and impressed many of her teachers with her poetry, short stories and freestyle writings. In her freshman year, she wrote a poem in tribute to the singer Aaliyah called â€œDear Aaliyah,â€? which was published by poetry.com. While in Germany Michaela attended Wurzburg American High School and took part in Jr. ROTC, AVID and became fluent in Spanish when she took lessons from her teacher, who was a native of Colombia. She earned her junior varsity letter in track during her freshman year when the team went to the finals in London. Michaela moved to Denver in 2004 and enrolled at East where she ran track and earned a varsity letter for her 100-, 200-, 400- and 800-meter events, plus her long- and triple-jump prowess. She also was a member of the Denver Marching Knights drill team, and a varsity cheerleader who was invited to participate in the International Sports Cheer Squad competition held in Australia. She has volunteered for organizations such as East High’s Angel Foundation and Goodwillâ€™s Earn-N-Learn. She was an intern at Positive Connection, a program for leading troubled teen girls in the right direction, and she worked for the Mayorâ€™s Youth Safe City program. She currently mentors and is a tutor for elementary and middle school students, belongs to Girls, Inc. and reads her poetry for the open mic program at East. Michaela is a member of Glory to Glory Christian Church. She has een accepted by several colleges and Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Fla., is a top contender.Tashara May: An honor roll student at Montbello High School, where she was vice head girl, a cheerleader and a choreographer for the dance team, Tashara is the daughter of Floyd May and Angela Dukes. Tashara was named “Outstanding Senior Girl for Academic Achievement” by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Nu Omega chapter amd is vice president of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Archinettes, which enaled her to attend conferences in Missouri and Iowa. She has also received a scholarship and a community service award from Zeta Phi Beta. Tashara has been a member of the Denver Rhoer Club for one year where she says she has learned to appreciate the person that she is and the person that she aspires to be. She plans to attend the University of Colorado at Denver where she will study theater arts and public relations with the goal of working as an actress or in the communications field.Laâ€™Shae Elizabeth Mayhew: A graduate of George Washington High School, Laâ€™Shae is the daughter of Maynard and Chevela Mayhew. At GW, Laâ€™Shae was active in karate, basketball, volleyball, dance and cheerleading. She recently became a member of The House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church of Denver. Her community service includes donating food and clothes to the homeless and volunteering at John Amesse Elementary School. When Laâ€™Shae is not working at Porter Hospital or at Famous Footwear, she is hanging out with family and friends, going to church, shopping or traveling. Laâ€™Shae will attend either Texas Southern University or Florida A & M.Jasmyn McGill: The Denver Academy graduate credits her mother, Deniece McGill, and other family members with helping her accomplish all that she has, including being able to graduate with a 4.0 grade point average. At DA, she was head girl and class president, a member of the girlsâ€™ varsity basketball team and Student Senate, National Honor Society and EPYCS (El Pomar Youth in Community Service). Jasmyn attends King Baptist Church where she is the secretary for the youth choir and a member of the mime team. She volunteers for The Childrenâ€™s Hospital, where she is assigned to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and visited Kenya for six weeks with her sign language group, Hands of Praise. There, she helped build an orphanage and worked with hearing impaired children. She will attend Paine College in Augusta, Ga., as a pre-med student.LaFonda Reid: She is the daughter of Eric Johnson and Noni Reid and graduated from East High School with a 3.0 GPA. LaFonda has received the Sisters in Service Outstanding Youth award for her accomplishments in academics, and enjoys singing, dancing, cooking, going to church and doing hair. LaFonda says that she is a Mommaâ€™s girl and that she loves and thanks her mom for being there for her through thick and thin. She also credits her achievements and success to God and knows that without Him she is nobody. LaFonda plans to attend Alabama State University before enrolling in law school. Her goal is to ecome a lawyer, then a judge.Michelle Diane Dhe (Dee) Roberts: The daughter of James and Josephine Roberts, Michelle likes to point out that the letters of her first and middle name will form the sentence, â€œWho is like the Lord divine.â€? Michelle graduated from J.K. Mullen High School, where she was a four-year member of the varsity track team and placed in the state meet three years in a row. Her events are high and long jump and relays. This year she placed first in state for the high jump and second in state for the long jump. Michelle is a member of New Hope Baptist Church and also worships at Living Hope Community Church and Scott United Methodist Church. Michelle has participated in many various community service projects. With the Delta Gems she has helped to give out Christmas gifts to kids that are less fortunate; in addition, she has volunteered 70-plus hours at the University of Colorado Hospital and has given money to school service projects in Ethiopia and Darfur, and to Mullenâ€™s sister school in New Orleans. Michelle helped organize a fashion show at New Hope Baptist Church and spent a trimester teaching literacy to students at Ft. Logan Elementary. She has traveled to 26 of the 50 states, has modeled in prom fashion shows for Seventeen magazine and Macyâ€™s, and participated in a swimwear show for Self magazine. Michelle plans to major in psychology at Colorado State University.Joslin Salter: The daughter of Vincent Salter and Durenda Green was born two and a half months prematurely, but went on to thrive. She graduated from Rangeview High School with 3.0 GPA. She was involved in Sisters in the Community, the Black Student Alliance, and the Theatre Club. Joslin is a member of New Covenant Holy Faith Church where she sings in the choir. Joslin states that although she has had some really rough times in her short life she is very thankful for her family and her close-knit friends. She thanks her aunt Juanita and uncle Marvin for always be there for her, her sisters and brothers for putting up with her, her mom for loving her no matter what, her stepmother Ini for accepting her and loving her as her own child and lastly, her father for loving her and being in her life. Joslin has been accepted to Colorado State University, Arizona State University and The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her first choice is to study architecture at The Academy of Art University.Miya Renee Rael Vaughn: A graduate of Bishop Machebeuf High School, Miya is the daughter of Michael Lindo and Frances E. Vaughn. She is a member of Odom Memorial Church of God in Christ and has participated in such community service projects the Delores Homeless Shelter Project, Samaritan House and Warren Village. At the Delores Homeless Shelter, she helped build a desk and a shed and collected food for the homeless women that reside at the shelter. Every two weeks, she makes lunches and delivers them to the Samaritan House on her own. She plans to attend Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Fla.Tiarra LeeAnn Whitaker: The daughter of Carl Coleman and Tammy Whitaker graduated in the top 10 percent of her class from Montbello High School where she was a cheerleader, played tennis and was on the step team. Tiarra also belonged to the National Honor Society and Upward Bound, and received an honor roll award for every year she has been in high school. She also received a Leadership Award for cheerleading and the â€œI Will Surviveâ€? award from Upward Bound. Her 3.5 GPA help win her a scholarship from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and a $17,000 grant from the University of Denver, which she will attend as a communications major. Tiarra is also the president of the Aconites youth group and has a part-time job at Empereon Marketing.Jennifer Gonzales Williamson: A graduate of Machebeuf High School, Jennifer is the daughter of Donald Williamson and Lanie Lim and says that even though her parents divorced and remarried she shares a very special bond with them and her step-parents Nirmala Williamson and Wayne Lim. Jennifer is a member of Prince of Peace Church of God in Christ and was active in her school’s Art Club, Anime Club and the Drama Club. She was president of the Science Club, participated in EPYCS and Model UN, in which she represented different countries at three Model UN conferences. Jennifer volunteered every day at her school library and once a month she would make lunches for the homeless. She has traveled to Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and the Philippines. She will major in psychology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Pictures from the Sigma Gamma Rho Debutante Ball can be viewed at denverpost.com/SeenGallery.

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. Her column appears every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.